Special Programs

With so many ways to customize your Year Course experience, no two participants will have the same year!

help save lives

Medical Track - MDA

Duration: Fall or Spring Semester in Tel Aviv
Schedule: Su, Mon., Weds., Thu - Hours vary

An interactive educational program along with hands-on experience on the ground through training and volunteering with Magen David Adom. Meet leading health professionals, work with Israeli paramedics, participate in tours and workshops and find out what it takes to devote yourself to saving lives.

As a full member of an MDA ambulance team, participants join eight-hour shifts together with Israeli volunteers in the Tel Aviv area, serving as first responders, helping those in need, and learning more about the medical field.

Watch the MDA Experience Here
train with the best

Marva - IDF Training

Duration: Fall Semester (Tel Aviv)
Schedule: Eight Weeks

Do you want to be part of something great? Do you want to see Israel as you have never seen it before? Are you looking to challenge yourself and push your limits? Marva is a unique, 8-week opportunity to experience the beauty and challenges of Israel through the eyes of the IDF.

Through hikes, drills, and physical activities, participants partake in real-life training exercises and live in actual army conditions. Hard military-style discipline is enforced in all activities, making this experience challenging and satisfying.

Watch the Marva Experience Here
learn to code

Tech & Coding

Duration: Spring Semester (Tel Aviv)
Schedule: Su. - Thu. Hours vary

Participate in a selective & intensive coding bootcamp at Developers.Institute, dedicated to educating the next generation of tech talent in Israel, featuring cutting-edge mentored courses in Web and mobile development, working with the industry’s best professionals.

During the course the participants will take part in conferences with representatives from different startups and high-tech companies, in order to make personal relations that may help them secure internship placements when the bootcamp ends.

View the Year Course Tech Track Curriculum
embrace the land

Kibbutz Experience

Duration: Fall or Spring Semester

Kibbutz Ketura, founded by Young Judaeans, is Year Course's home in the Arava Valley. Participants spend two months living and volunteering on the kibbutz, which boasts desert vistas, a lively and pluralist Jewish atmosphere, and innovative ecologoical industry.

Living and volunteering on the kibbutz gives you the true communal experience - whether sharing meals with other members or living with volunteers from around Israel and the world, you'll get a feel for what it means to live in a cooperative environment.

up close in the start up nation

Business Add-On

Duration: Fall or Spring Semester in Tel Aviv
Schedule: Once a week; hours vary

  • Meeting with leading Hi-Tech industry professionals
  • Participating in business workshops where you will learn the skills of project management, giving the perfect pitch, developing business ideas and more
  • Learning about the Israeli Start-Up-Nation from different types of entrepreneurs
stay active

Fitness Add-On

Duration: Fall or Spring Semester in Tel Aviv
Schedule:
Weekly excursions; hours vary

Enjoy weekly rotating fitness classes and find your new favorite sport! Try acro-yoga, surfing, TRX, dance, climbing, Pilates, Krav Maga, and more!

In your free time, enjoy your included membership to a boutique gym near campus, and cheer on Tel Aviv sports teams with tickets to professional matches.

Shabbat and Holidays off the beaten path

Road Trip with the Rabbi

Duration: Full Year, Semester, or Ala Carte
Schedule: Weekends and Holidays

Enhance your Jewish life on Year Course with special experiences and trips for holidays and select Shabbatot Special experiences and trips for holiday and select Shabbatot with Director of Education, Rabbi Adam Drucker. Get ready to see some of the amazing places that even Israelis don't know about!

connect with your heritage

Pardes Jewish Study

Duration: Full Year (Must Start in Jerusalem)
Schedule:
Weekly classes and activities

The Year Course and Pardes Study Program provides the opportunity for participants to delve into texts such as the Talmud, Midrash, Halacha, and Machshava and explore their historical, literary, and philosophical underpinnings.

More Information about Jewish Studies